Passenger railcars, such as light rail vehicles, including commuter trains and subway trains, as well as heavy passenger railcars, will have an extremely long operating life if properly maintained. Periodic refitting and refurbishing of such railcars is typically scheduled at intervals of 10-15 years.
Water leakage in a railcar is undesirable as it can cause unsightly water marks on the interior finish panels, as well as contributing to problems of corrosion and degradation of the railcar fittings, and potentially even creating problems in the railcar's electrical systems. Such water leakage can arise in conditions of rain, or from melting snow or ice, or during washing of the railcar, if there are gaps between the seams of overlapping roof or wall sheathing panels, or other cracks or fissures in the exterior of the railcar.
The presently accepted test for watertightness of railcars involves locating the railcar in a waterspray booth (such as a car washer), where an array of nozzles sprays water on the railcar. The waterspray device is intended to simulate a rainshower. The internal walls of the railcar are then checked for leakage of water into the railcar. It should be appreciated that to detect water leakage inside the railcar that it is necessary to remove internal panels and other coverings, as well as any sound insulation beneath such coverings, that are installed in some railcars. Watertightness tests are typically performed about four times each year.
However, sometimes a watertightness test will be done without removal of the internal panels etc. In such case the testing may not disclose all leaks, and in some instances can even cause additional leaks if the testing method is merely a visual inspection of the railcar roof, since the load created by a person walking on the roof of the railcar may exceed the roof loading limit causing cracks in welds or in the roof panels themselves.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a method and apparatus that permits testing of the watertightness of railcars without requiring removal of the interior finish panels and other materials, and which can be used at any time to permit a periodic check of railcar watertightness. It would also be desirable if such a method and apparatus could be performed without the need for transporting the railcar to a fixed waterspray booth.